The Goodnight Kiss
by LuvMeSumGlee
Summary: What happened after the ballet? A Sasha/Payson story
1. Chapter 1

**This is set at the end of I Won't Dance, Don't Ask Me. I thought Payson and Sasha's dynamic in that episode was so sweet and I just had to write about it. Enjoy! Please review and let me know what you think! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Make It or Break It**

"That was incredible!" Payson gushes "I mean, I can't believe I didn't recognize her. I mean, I always pictured ballerinas looking like supermodels, but Adrian looked… normal. And she was incredible." Sasha smiles to himself. Payson has been babbling like this the whole way home. Obviously his plan had been successful. Suddenly, he realizes it was quiet in the car. He whips his head to look over at Payson, making sure she hadn't choked or anything. She is leaning her elbow against the car door, her hand against her cheek, a smile of disbelief playing on her lips. "I can really do this," she whispers to herself.

"You can," Sasha replies, placing his hand on top of her other hand. Payson looks over in surprise. Quickly, Sasha withdraws his hand and turns his eyes back to the road. "Sorry," he mumbles.

"It's ok," Payson says softly. Sasha doesn't look at her the rest of the ride home. He does his best to focus on the road and not think about how his hand tingles where it had touched hers.

Finally, Sasha pulls into Payson's driveway. He gets out and quickly crosses to the other side of the car to open Payson's door. Payson smiles appreciatively, but doesn't say anything. Sasha guides Payson to her front door, unconsciously placing his hand at the small of her back. When they reach her door, Payson turns to Sasha.

"Thank you for taking me, Sasha," she says. She grins. "I had a great time." Sasha smiles back.

"I did too," he says. He clears his throat, suddenly feeling like a teenage boy on his first date. He looks at Payson. She looks so different than she does at the gym. The dress she's wearing is feminine and sophisticated, and shows off her body better than any skin-tight leotard ever could. Unlike in the gym, she is wearing make-up. Not too much, just enough to accentuate her features, particularly her eyes. A few strands of hair are falling loose from her bun. In a word, she is stunning.

"Sasha?" Payson asks. It is only then that Sasha realizes he'd been staring. He looks down at his feet, ashamed at the blush that he feels creeping up his neck. He hears Payson shift uncomfortably. "Well, uh, goodnight," she says, stepping toward her door. Sasha catches her arm and pulls her back toward him. It seems like it happens slowly and yet all at once. He is kissing her, gently at first, but then the kiss evolves into something more passionate and fevered. She is grabbing at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, tangling her fingers in her hair. He pulls her against him, pressing her body to his with so much force, he briefly worries he's crushing her. The only sounds are their heavy breathing. The kiss goes on for minutes, or is it hours? Sasha seems to have lost all track of time. Finally he forces himself to pull away. Payson looks at him, face flushed and eyes bright. He takes a step back, confused at what just happened.

"Goodnight," he says softly and all but runs to his car.

That night, he lies awake in bed, mulling over what to do. He can't stop himself from replaying the kiss over and over in his mind, poring over every detail. He shouldn't have done that, he knows. Maybe if Payson were a few years older and he wasn't her coach, it would be okay, but in their current situation there was no way he and Payson Keeler could be together. Knowing that didn't stop his mind from drifting back to the kiss. And it didn't stop Payson from being the first thing he thought of when he woke up the next morning.

"I think Payson had a real breakthrough last night," he tells her mom at the gym, hoping she doesn't notice the way he's smiling to himself. The memories of the night come rushing back again and he gets so caught up in them that he only half listens to the conversation until Kim Keeler asks,

"Do you like Summer? Because she likes you. And if you do like her, would you just ask her out?"

Sasha stares at her, dumbfounded. There was a time when he liked Summer, but that time wasn't now. But what is he supposed to say, 'Sorry Mrs. Keeler, I'd rather date your daughter'? Without a word, he walks out of the room. He has some thinking to do.

Later in the day, he asks Summer out. He tries not to look over at Payson, who is sitting at the side of the mat. Everything in him wants to close the distance between them and fold her into a warm embrace. But he can't do that. He knows he has to be responsible and do the right thing. Getting involved with Payson would be very, _very_ irresponsible. Still, after Summer leaves, he glances at Payson, his mind swimming with the memories of that goodnight kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

***Since almost every review I got asked for more, here it is! The first part was kinda from Sasha's point of view, so this one's gonna be more focused on Payson's thoughts. I'm not really used to writing in present tense, so forgive me if I accidentally slip into past tense. Anyways, thanks for the reviews, please please **_**please**_** keep it up. Enjoy the story!***

Payson is lounging on the couch, watching TV, enjoying a rare night of relaxing when her mother rushes into the living room wearing her best dress.

"Mom, where are you going?" Payson asks, turning around to see her mother putting in her earrings.

"I'm bailing Sasha and Summer out," her mom explains. "They went on a date but Steve and Chloe are there so Sasha asked me to come so he could convince them it was a business dinner." Kim stops and looks at her daughter. "I shouldn't have said that; it's private. Do me a favor and don't mention it to anyone. Thanks, sweetheart." She walks over to the couch, kisses her daughter on the head and rushes out the door.

"Sasha went on a date?" Payson asks, though she's not sure who she's asking. She sits on the couch, shell shocked, her mind reeling. She had thought Sasha had feelings for her. Why else would he kiss her? So why is he on a date with Summer? Payson frowns, trying to sort it out in her head. The kiss meant something to her, but maybe Sasha doesn't feel the same way. Maybe to him it was a mistake. It _was_ a mistake, Payson corrects herself. She knows kissing Sasha was wrong, and that she and Sasha can never be together. But that doesn't mean she expected him to go on a date the very next day! Payson is hurt. More than hurt, she's heartbroken. As she realizes this, she feels the tears spring to her eyes. She squeezes her eyes shut, willing herself not to cry, ashamed of the tears. After a few shaky breaths, she composes herself. Sasha Beloff is her coach, nothing more, she tells herself. She won't cry over him. She can't.

The next day is trying to say the least. Payson does her best to focus on her gymnastics but every time she looks at Sasha she feels her throat get tight and the familiar burning in her eyes that tells her she's about to cry. She's off and she knows it. She hopes Sasha doesn't notice but, of course, he does.

"Payson, are you all right?" he asks at the end of the day as everyone is preparing to leave.

"I'm fine," Payson mumbles, slinging her bag onto her shoulder. She tries to walk away but Sasha grabs her arm.

"I know you Payson Keeler. And you are most certainly not 'fine'," Sasha says. Sasha's gaze is piercing as he studies her, trying to figure out what's wrong. Payson looks away.

"I need to go get dressed," she says.

"Don't bother," Sasha tells her. Payson looks up, eyes wide in shock. Is he saying what she thinks he's saying? "Because you are going to get back out on that mat and work through whatever it is that's bothering you," Sasha continues, unaware that Payson at first thought he was suggesting she undress. She blushes furiously at the way her mind jumped to that conclusion and, humiliated, heads to the mat.

Payson takes a deep breath and performs her floor routine but it's ten times harder to focus when she and Sasha are alone in the gym.

"Again," Sasha says, standing there with his arms crossed, looking like he is just her coach and she's nothing more to him than his gymnast. Payson does her routine once more. "Again," Sasha repeats. In the middle of the routine, Payson loses her concentration all together and falls to the floor. She just lies there, trying to find the will to get up, but it's taking all her energy not to cry. "Payson." She hears Sasha say her name softly. She looks up and sees him kneeling beside her, his face full of concern. "Are you ready to tell me what's really the matter?" he asks. Payson moans in frustration, suddenly angry.

"You are!" she cries, standing. Sasha stays kneeling, letting Payson tower over him. "I thought you cared about me. Then I find out you went on a date with Summer," Payson says, practically spitting out Summer's name. "Obviously that kiss meant a lot more to me than it did to you. But you know what I don't care. However, if you want me to focus, stop breathing down my neck!" she shouts, stomping off the mat.

"I'm your coach!" Sasha cries, following after her. "Breathing down your neck is part of my job!" Payson doesn't answer as she grabs her bag and heads for the door. Sasha gets in front of her, blocking the exit. "It's also my job to care about my gymnasts." Payson rolls her eyes and tries to push past him. Sasha steps in closer. "But I care about you, Payson, way more than is required," he says softly. "Way more than I should," he whispers. They are just inches apart. Payson is still breathing hard from the combination of gymnastics and yelling. She inclines her head slightly, letting her eyes slide close. All Sasha has to do is move a fraction of an inch and they will be kissing. She hears his sharp intake of breath, feels him start to move, then all at once he isn't there anymore. "Ah!" he cries out, punching the wall. He turns back. "I can't do this Payson," he says. He steps back towards her, takes her face in his hands. "God knows I _want_ to. But I can't." Without another word he leaves the gym. Payson watches him go as she chokes back a sob.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok here's another chapter for you guys! Thanks so much for all the reviews! I'm so glad you like this story. Enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!**

"Sasha?" Payson asks tentatively. Sasha looks up from the papers at his desk and sees Payson standing in the doorway.

"Yes, Payson?" he asks. "Come in," he adds, tensing up only slightly at the thought of he and Payson being alone in his office. He's made his decision but that doesn't mean being with Payson isn't tempting. Payson steps into the office, stands in front of his desk and takes a deep breath.

"I'm leaving the Rock," she says. Sasha drops the pen he's holding.

"What?" he cries. Payson squares her shoulders.

"You heard me," she says defiantly. "I'm leaving. I've thought about it, and I've made my decision. I wanted to tell you first, but as soon as I'm done here, I'm going to tell my mom that I want to go to a different gym." Sasha gets up from behind the desk and stands in front of Payson.

"And what exactly are you going to tell your mom is your reason for the sudden need to switch gyms?" Sasha asks. Payson considers this for a minute.

"I'll tell her that I'm tired of all the drama," Payson says slowly, looking Sasha directly in the eye. Sasha sighs as he runs a hand through his hair. "Well, that's all I wanted to say. Goodbye, Sasha." Payson turns on her heel to leave.

"Payson!" Sasha says forcefully, spinning her back around to look at him. "Don't do this," he pleads, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I know you're angry at me, and you're doing this to spite me, but if you leave the only person you'll be hurting is yourself. You've worked so hard to become an artistic gymnast and you're making so much progress. Going to a different gym, switching coaches; that would be throwing all that away. If you really want to go, fine. But you can kiss your Olympic dreams goodbye." Payson's eyes brim with tears and Sasha knows she sees the reason in his words. She steps away from him and sits on the couch.

"I don't want to leave to spite you," Payson admits with a sigh. "I want to leave because it's too hard being around you. My mom has always accused me of wanting things too much. Whether it's a gold medal or fitting in at school, I always want it way more than other people around me." Payson shrugs. "It's just the way I'm wired I guess." She falls silent.

"And what does that have to do with me?" Sasha asks, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Payson looks at Sasha, the intensity of her gaze surprising him.

"Don't you get it Sasha?" she asks with a bitter laugh. "I want _you_ too much." Sasha just stares at her, unable to make his mouth form words. "I know, I know, you're my coach and we could never be together, I realize that," Payson continues. "But just because it can't happen, doesn't mean I'll stop wanting it to happen." Payson laughs again, this time the laugh is tinged with tears. "Sasha, you are smart and determined and good-looking and you have an accent" Sasha laughs at that. Girls always love the accent. "You care about gymnastics just as much as I do and you believed in me when no one else did. Not even me." Sasha sits down next to her and takes her hand. She looks at him and smiles sadly. "In a nutshell, you're the perfect guy for me," she says earnestly.

"Payson," he whispers, placing a hand on her cheek. He wants to tell her that he feels the exact same way, that she is perfect for him and that he can't stop thinking about her. But he can't. "Please, don't go," he says instead. He knows she can sense the emotion behind his words. He rejected her yesterday, but now she realizes that he wants her just as badly as she wants him. She leans closer to him.

"Then give me a reason to stay," she breathes. Sasha shouldn't do this. He should get up off the couch, push her away, something. But he's tired of trying to be responsible. He wants things too much, too, another thing he and Payson have in common. And right now he wants to kiss Payson Keeler. So screw doing the right thing. He leans in, smiling as soon as his lips gently brush hers. She smiles back and kisses him with more force than he thought she had. She pushes him back against the arm of the couch. She's halfway on top of him. He wraps his arms around her slim waist and deftly pulls her hair out from her typical bun. It falls out in golden waves covering both their faces. Payson giggles like a school girl and Sasha is ashamed to admit that he giggles right along with her. He can't help it, he just feels so euphoric. Until,

"Oh my God." They both freeze and turn to see a shocked Emily Kmetko standing in the doorway.


	4. Chapter 4

**I know this chapter is kinda short, but I was too tired to write anymore. I figured you would rather have a short update now than a slightly longer one later? Anyway, enjoy the chapter and please review! **

"Emily!" Payson cries, jumping off the couch to chase after her. Sasha starts to get up to follow, but a look from Payson tells him it would be best if he stay put. "Emily wait!" Emily has run from the office and heads out the door of the gym. Payson catches up with her outside.

"Are you crazy?" Emily shouts. Payson cringes, wishing Emily would keep her voice down.

"Maybe," Payson admits.

"Maybe?" Emily shakes her head in disbelief. "There's no maybe about it. You _are_ crazy. He's our coach, Pay. Plus, he's old," Emily says, wrinkling her nose. Payson sinks to the curb, trying her best not to cry. Emily sighs and sits down next to her. "I'm not saying he isn't attractive. I could see myself maybe having a… moment of weakness," Emily says, choosing her words carefully. "But just think about this."

"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" Payson whispers. Emily hesitates.

"I don't know," she says, biting her lip. Payson looks at her with a horrified expression.

"Emily, you can't! Sasha will lose his job and he'll never be allowed to coach gymnastics again! He might even go to jail! And I'll never make it to the Olympics without him. You won't either." Tears were spilling out if her eyes now. "Please, please don't tell," Payson begs.

"Payson, Emily? Is everything okay?" Summer asks, stepping outside. Payson looks at Emily, afraid of what she will say.

"Yeah everything's fine," Emily tells Summer. "It was just a misunderstanding." Payson grins at her and mouths thank you as they walk back into the gym. As soon as they're inside, Sasha walks up to Payson.

"Is she-" he asks, still too shocked to form a coherent question

"She's not going to tell," Payson says with a firm shake of the head. Sasha breathes a sigh of relief. He looks over to see Emily watching them.

"Ok let's get to work," he tells Payson, too loudly. Payson can tell he is shaken up by being caught.

Payson is shaken up too, and it shows in her routine. She kicks the mat in frustration. Sasha walks over to talk to her.

"Payson, it's ok. You can do this. Just focus." It sounds like a regular pep talk, but the look in his eyes and the way he is standing way closer than he has too tells Payson that it's much more than that. She thinks back to their kiss earlier and wants nothing more than to kiss him again. Just then, she feels Emily's eyes on them. They quickly walk away from each other. Emily approaches her as everyone is leaving.

"This is more than just a random make out session isn't it?" she asks. Payson shushes her, frantically looking around, but no one seems to have heard. She sighs.

"Em-"

"Don't 'Em' me," Emily snaps. "Look if this was just one lapse of judgment, one accidental kiss, I could keep it a secret. But an actual relationship? Don't put that on my shoulders. I can't deal with keeping that a secret."

"Okay, I know it's unorthodox," Payson says.

"Unorthodox?" Emily scoffs. "It's illegal!"

"But I really care about Sasha," Payson continues as if Emily hadn't interrupted. "And he cares about me."

"Does he care about you enough to wait two years? And does he care enough to stop being your coach?" Emily asks. "Because that's the only way this relationship has any chance of working." Payson doesn't say anything, just looks at the floor. "Payson, I won't tell anyone what I saw, but you have to promise me this… _thing _between you and Sasha will stop." Emily looks at her expectantly. Payson glances over at Sasha, who's chatting with one of the gym parents. Just thinking about not being with him makes her heart hurt. But it's the only way to protect his reputation, not to mention his career…

"I promise," Payson says, sadly. "From now on, Sasha Beloff is nothing more to me than my coach."


End file.
